The invention is in the field of cables that close into an inseparable loop, one example of the use of which is in garment theft prevention. Recent years have seen a considerable increase in the use and visibility of theft prevention systems in department and clothing stores. Some stores have plastic badges secured to the cloth which trigger an alarm at sensors adjacent the store exits if the badge has not been removed. Removal of the badge requires a special tool. Because clothing can be quite expensive, and the nature of clothing displays encourage shoplifters, theft-prevention systems which were all but non-existent twenty years ago, will probably become increasingly the rule rather than the exception.
Although the magnetic disc system seems to work well in stores that have a considerable quantity of clothing, in operations that just have a short line, the system might be somewhat cumbersome and too expedient and complicated. There is a need for an extremely simple, low-tech system that can be used, particularly for leather jackets and sport coats in stores such as warehouse stores which do not carry extensive racks of clothing, but do have lines of expensive coats such as leather jackets.